Communication networks are used in a variety of applications including telephone and computer systems, weapons systems, navigational systems, and advanced control systems in cars, aircraft and other complex systems. Given the variety of applications, many kinds of communications networks have been developed over the years. One common characteristic of communication networks is the use of a communication medium that interconnects various nodes on the network. Various topologies and protocols have been developed to control communications between the nodes of these networks.
One type of network is referred to as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA). In a TDMA network, nodes in the network are assigned time slots for communicating over the network. Many different TDMA protocols have been developed for communication between nodes of a network. For example, these protocols include TTP/C, SAFEbus, FlexRay and other TDMA protocols.
In many time-triggered protocols, a global clock synchronization protocol is used to maintain synchronization between the clocks at each of the nodes. This synchronization of the local clocks assures that the nodes have the same time basis for determining the beginning of each time slot. Each node monitors the transmission on the network and independently synchronizes its clock to the global clock of the network based on the timing of the receipt of selected signals from the other nodes, e.g., an action time signal in the TTP/C Specification.
One problem with existing time-triggered protocols with global time synchronization is that faults that propagate in the network may adversely affect the time synchronization of nodes in the network. When a node transmits out of turn, if the frame or message is allowed to reach other nodes in the system, then the global synchronization may be adversely impacted.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved mechanism for reducing the impact of faults on a global time synchronization in a network implementing a time-triggered protocol.